Ezra
Ezra 10 ©
1 Shechaniah encourageth Ezra to reform the abuse of the foreign marriages. 6 Ezra by proclamation assembleth the people. 9 The people at the exhortation of Ezra promise amendment. 15 The business is carried into execution. 18 The names of those who had married foreign wives.
NOW when Ezra ahad prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down bbefore the house of God, there cassembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people 1wept very *sore.
And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, dWe have trespassed against our God, and have taken *strange wives of the people of the land: yet now ethere is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
Now therefore let us fmake a covenant with our God 2to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that gtremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done haccording to the law.
¶Then Ezra rose up kfrom before the house of God, and went into lthe chamber of mJohanan the son of nEliashib: and when he came thither, ohe did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.
And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;
And pthat whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be 3forfeited, and himself qseparated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.
¶Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, rtrembling because of this matter, and for 4the great rain.
And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and 5have taken *strange wives, to sincrease the *trespass of Israel.
Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, wso must we do.
Let now our yrulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken *strange wives in our cities come at zappointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God 7for this matter be turned from us.
¶Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were 8employed about this matter : and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.
And they made an end with all the men that had taken *strange wives by the first day of the first month.
And they egave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being fguilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their *trespass.
And of the sons of gImmer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.
Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,
Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,
And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
9Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.